1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved form of eyeglass construction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, various configurations of eye wear construction have been devised. Different types of eye wear frames have been configured to allow the eye wear to fold and to separate both at hinge connections between the temple pieces and the lens frame, and between adjacent sections of the lens frame itself. However, all of these prior systems have been unduly complex and have failed to provide modular, interchangeable eyeglass parts that are mechanically simple in construction, while remaining extremely versatile in function and which are also safe for the user to wear.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,455 discloses user configurable novelty sunglasses comprised of detachable frame holding sections for each lens and separable temple pieces. While the sunglasses so formed do employ modular components, the interlocking mechanism employed on both sides of each lens section presents sharp edges and corners which could cause severe eye injury to a wearer resulting from sudden separation of the component pieces. For example, serious injury to a person's eye could easily result if a person wearing such sunglasses were to be struck in the face by a volleyball or beach ball. Also, the temple pieces of these prior art glasses are not joined to the eye frames by means of hinged connections, thus requiring total disassembly of the sunglasses into separate pieces for convenient transport and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,612 is directed to a detachable eyeglass or sunglass assembly having left and right frame members for the left and right lenses. One of the frame members is provided with projecting pins which frictionally engage corresponding holes in the other frame member. Again, however, the pins or prongs are of such a sharp, projecting nature as to present a risk of serious eye injury in the event of an impact against the glasses that causes separation of the lens holding sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,362 discloses a pair of glasses having left and right lens holding portions which are joined by a nose piece that includes a male portion sized to be snugly received within a female socket. The single, prong-like male portion does present a safety hazard to the eyes of a wearer.
Conventional prior art eyeglasses or sunglasses of the type described also do not provide any replacement hinge pin members. Due to the repeated stress exerted upon the hinge pin members that join the eyeglass lens sections to the temple pieces, hinge pin members were for many years constructed of steel, even though such a construction adds considerably to the cost of eye wear. This is because the steel hinge elements must be physically secured to the frame members and to temple pieces, which are often constructed of plastic.
On the other hand, in those spectacles and eyeglass which employ plastic hinge pins, shearing of the hinge pins frequently occurs and the glasses cannot be used until replacement constructural components containing substitute hinge pin members have been procured and assembled with the remaining portions of the spectacles or sunglasses. That is, in conventional eyeglass and sunglasses which employ plastic pin stubs on the temple pieces that fit into corresponding sockets on the eye frame pieces, failure of the small, hinge pin stubs requires the replacement of the entire temple piece. A user cannot utilize the eyeglasses or sunglasses until a substitute temple piece has been purchased. Thus, the hinge pin members of conventional eyeglasses or sunglasses that are constructed entirely of plastic are both prone to failure and are not immediately repairable.